At a time when some companies are finding it difficult to recruit IT employees, many of them aren’t doing enough to attract a significant segment of the population: women.

Sure, part of the shortage of women in IT departments is due to fact that, well, less women work in IT. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there, and that they don’t have the skills companies are looking for.

Here are some tips for recruiting female tech employees:

• “Family-friendly” benefits aren’t the only answer. They can certainly help bring working mothers or women who plan to have children on board, but not every female applicant fits that bill. In fact, women who aren’t parents might be turned off when a company focuses on appealing to mothers, rather than all women.
• It helps if there are already women in the department. Having visible female employees when female applicants come to interview can do a lot to increase the comfort level and make the company more attractive.
• Offer training opportunities. Of course, this is an important benefit for all tech employees, but it can have a greater impact on women looking to advance their careers.
• Conduct more harassment training, if necessary. While it’s certainly not a problem everywhere, some traditionally male departments may run the risk of displaying attitudes and behaviors that alienate female employees and hurt retention. Extra training on this matter, if needed, can help.

To read more tips on recruiting women to your IT department, click here.

Tags: diversity, female employees, harassment training, IT staffing